


Desert Flowers

by aila_anomaly



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Other, Voltron, sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-11-13 23:25:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11195664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aila_anomaly/pseuds/aila_anomaly
Summary: "You don't have to. You could come with me."The way he lowered his voice, allowing only you to hear, had sent unforgettable tingles down your spine. It was a mix of secrecy, excitement and adventure that followed you every day after that moment.It never left your heart, even after a year had passed and Keith was long gone.





	Desert Flowers

"Okay so we only have about another year and a half before we graduate."

"Mhm." Keith had kept his eyes on his food when you slid into the seat next to him. The cafeteria was extra quiet that day.

"And that got me thinking. What's going to happen after graduation?"

"Mhm."

"We need a game plan that will give us a head start."

"Mhm."

"I have a few ideas . . ."

"Mhm." His lackluster responses seemed more solemn than usual. His fork stabbed at the pasta on his plate over and over again, until it was nothing but mush. You knew Keith played with his food rather than eating it when he was upset.

"Keith, what's wrong?" He picked at his food at bit more and sighed before answering you.

"Look, (Y/N). I'm not . . . going to be attending the Garrison anymore. I'm leaving." His announcement had made you confused and worried.

"What? Where are you going?"

"I'm heading back out to my old place, that little house in the desert." You couldn't fathom why he wanted to go there of all places.

"And why are you leaving?"

"I uh, I'm getting expelled."

" _Expelled?!_ For what?!" Your outburst had caught the attention of the few students left in the room. Some snickered and others just stared. You shot them all a dirty look till they left you alone.

Keith continued, blushing slightly. "Disciplinary issues." He still wouldn't look at you. "So I'm not going to be graduating with you. You'll have to find someone else to make plans with." He sounded bitter.

"I don't want to make plans with anyone else."

"You're going to have to if you want that head start. I'm not gonna be here to do it with you." Ever since you started going to the Galaxy Garrison, you and Keith had done everything together. Why was he being so distant now? Keith pushed away his tray full of mush and folded his arms over the table with another heavy exhale. "I'm not upset about it though. It's kind of liberating, not having to worry about everyone else and their rules and whether or not I'm doing the right thing. I'll be on my own, free to make decisions for myself and my interests."

Once again, Keith would be a lone wolf. You'd tried to fix the loneliness in him many times before, but it kept coming out one way or another.

"It's hard to explain, but, I just don't _belong_ here. I feel like I'm meant to be a part of something else. Getting expelled is probably the best thing for me right now." You placed a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to look at you with those stunning violet eyes. You knew he was right. Keith loved being a pilot, and you had seen the Garrison crush his wild spirit time and time again. You were his best friend, and he was yours. You'd been by Keith's side through all the good times and rough patches. Deep down you knew that he was meant for more than the silly fairy tale you had planned out in your head. Maybe you were meant for more than this too. The aching in your chest betrayed the happiness you felt for Keith. He was going to find his way, with or without you, and no matter how much it hurt, you had to let him go.

"I understand. If this is what you need, I'm not going to stop you." Keith smiled, looking relieved from your comforting words. "But, you should know, I'm really going to miss you when you're gone." It was your turn to blush once the confession left your lips.

Keith leaned towards you, so much so that your foreheads were almost touching. Your surroundings had faded away until it was just you and Keith. His next words resonated throughout your body, leaving a permanent mark.

"You don't have to. You could come with me." The way he lowered his voice, allowing only you to hear, had sent unforgettable tingles down your spine. It was a mix of secrecy, excitement and adventure that followed you every day after that moment. It never left your heart, even after a year had passed and Keith was long gone.

" _You could come with me_." His words rang through your ears when you packed up your things, and dropped out of the Garrison with hopes of finding something more.

" _We can go together_." They washed away all of your doubt when everyone said you were making a mistake and throwing away all your hard work.

" _We'll find our own way._ " They helped you feel brave when you boarded the bus that would take you to the edge of the desert.

" _Make our own rules._ " Those words aided your first step into the sandy terrain.

" _I'll wait for you._ _You know where to find me_." They guide your feet to the old shack in the distance, where he's probably fast asleep.

The cool, dry desert wind caresses your face as you close the distance between yourself and the shack. It's refreshing. The backpack hanging from your shoulder weighs you down, while anticipation lifts you up. It's been so long, you haven't seen or spoken to Keith since the day he drove off into the desert. What if he's not even there? He said he would wait for you, but Keith is an impatient person. Still, you trust the promises he made long ago.

"He'll be there," you tell yourself. "He's waiting for me."

The stars look beautiful tonight. You remember how Keith would take you up to the roof past curfew and teach you different constellations. You wonder if he remembers that too. The two of you would spend hours up there talking about anything and everything, asking questions and wondering about the future. You long to do that again. This time the possibilities are endless.

Finally, you come to a stop in front of Keith's home. There aren't any lights on, but it doesn't seem abandoned. An old rocking chair rests on the sand covered porch. A comfy looking red blanket is draped over one arm of the chair, and a mug with steaming contents sits on the other. He is here. Right on cue, the door opens with a creak. Keith steps out onto the porch and closes the door behind him, yawning as he does so.

"Hey stranger." Keith tenses and turns around at the sound of your voice. His eyebrows furrow for a few seconds, then raise in the realization that it's you. For a moment he's completely still, then, he walks down the steps slowly, carefully, watching you intently as if to make sure you're real. Light from the stars and the moon shine down on Keith, giving you a good look at him as he moves closer. You notice how his tall figure has gotten more muscular since you last saw him, and as always, he's dressed in black. His hair has grown out to his shoulders and his eyes carry dark bags beneath them, but he's smiling nonetheless. His skin is pale and soft under the dim light. The sight nearly leaves you breathless.

He did wait for you. Even though it took you a year to figure out that you needed him, he waited.

"(Y/N)." He stops a few inches in front of you, and the sudden closeness of him is almost overwhelming. A whole year without him and now he's close enough to touch.

"Keith." You can't bring yourself to say much more than that.

"You came." He chuckles when he speaks. The noise is loud in the midst of the quiet desert.

"Yeah, I did." Something unpleasant settles at the bottom of your stomach. Maybe guilt, or embarrassment? Everyone had pushed you towards a perfect life. But that's not what you wanted. You wanted to be like Keith, daring and adventurous. You had tried to convince yourself that you could make everything work out the way people expected it to with good grades and proper planning. Why did you put up with everyone's crap for so long? Why hadn't you left sooner?

Keith was out here waiting for you to figure out something he'd learned over a year ago, while you were wasting your time trying to appease others. He tried to get you to come with him, but you were stubborn and refused his efforts. Now you feel awful for rejecting him. Embarrassment from your poor choices warms your cheeks. Keith is silent, with his arms crossed and eyebrows slightly raised. He has to bend down a little to look you directly in the eyes. He searches your face for some kind of expression that would tell him your inner thoughts. Keith clears his throat. "I, uh, missed you."

Those simple words clear away the guilt for a moment and put a smile on your face. "I missed you too, you dork."

His eyes widen at your reply and you throw your arms over his shoulders, pulling him into a hug. Keith takes a step back to balance himself, then wraps his lean arms around your waist, lifting you up. He places you back down, without letting go, and presses his cheek against yours. His warm breath fans across your ear. You rest your forehead on his shoulder and sigh.

"Sorry I took so long." It's no louder than a whisper, but Keith hears your apology.

"It's okay. I would've kept waiting for you." His somewhat chapped lips move against your skin as he speaks, sending a shiver through your body. Keith pulls back and rubs his gloved hands up and down your arms. "You cold?"

You nod and blush, flustered that your shivers aren't from the dropping temperature, but more so the fact that Keith is touching you. He's never been this close to you before, it's a little difficult for you to maintain composure.

"Come on then. Let's go inside." He grabs your hand, laces his fingers through yours, and leads you up the stairs. It isn't too warm in the house, but it's enough to keep the chill out. It's so dark, the only light source is from a grungy window on the wall where moonlight filters in through a thin curtain. A worn out couch and coffee table are the only things that come into view. Keith takes your bag, places it on the table, then turns to you. "I can't believe you walked all the way here in the middle of the night. You must be tired."

"Tired is an understatement," you yawn for emphasis, "I'm exhausted." It's been a long day. Just this morning you woke up in your dorm room at the Garrison, and now you've left all that behind. The emotional and physical strain of the day's events has really taken its toll. Now, all you crave is rest.

Keith rubs the back of his neck and gestures toward the couch. "It's not much but, make yourself comfortable." You wouldn't mind being on the floor if it meant getting some sleep. The cushions creak as you lower yourself onto them and stretch out. Keith disappears outside for a few seconds and returns holding the red blanket you saw before. He hands it to you and turns away.

"Well, goodnight."

"Where are you going?"

"I was gonna . . . sleep . . . on the floor . . ."

"Nope." You grab his arm and pull him towards you. A light pink tints Keith's cheeks.

"Are you sure?"

You roll your eyes playfully at his awkwardness. "Just come lay down." Keith settles down next to you, taking up what little space is left, and effectively pinning you in between his body and the couch.

"Keith?"

"Hmm?"

"I can't breathe."

"Oh. Sorry." He maneuvers you both around so that he's lying on his back with you comfortably nestled against his side. Keith's arms hold you gently and the blanket shields your bodies from the drafts of cool air floating about the room.

 _Damn_ , you think to yourself, _this is way better than sleeping in a stuffy dorm._

You pull the blanket up to your chin and rest your head on Keith's chest, taking the opportunity to listen to his heartbeat. It's so calming, you almost drift off to sleep until he speaks.

"Why did you decide to come find me?"

You think for a moment before answering. "I got sick of the Garrison's BS and wanted to join you on your quest to find a purpose."

"But, you had your whole future planned out."

"Yeah, and it was ideal for everyone but me." Keith doesn't say anything after that, so you change the subject.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

"What?"

"Before you left, you said that you were meant to be part of something else. Did you figure out what that something else is?"

"I'm not sure, but I did find something interesting."

"What did you find?"

Keith yawns. "I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. Now go to sleep." He places a kiss on your forehead. The gesture is small yet intimate, and makes your heart skip a few beats. "Goodnight, (Y/N)."

Just before you fall asleep you hear him whisper, "I'm glad you came."

**Author's Note:**

> I would totally drop out of school and walk across the desert in the middle of the night for Keith.  
> Also, I wanted to write this because I feel like Keith needs a better backstory than "booted because of disciplinary issues". Ya know? Maybe he wanted to be more than just another space explorer. Idk man, but look where my boy is now. Out defeating intergalactic space villains and stuff.  
> 


End file.
